Four Times A Loser
by LemonDropGarden
Summary: A possible scenario for the missing "first date" scene between Niles & CC in "The Dummy Twins." The ending coincides with Niles's return to the mansion. Gotta keep it real ;)


_**A possible scenario for the missing "first date" scene between Niles & CC in "The Dummy Twins"**_

When the doorbell rang, CC had been waiting impatiently. She walked to her front door and opened it for Niles. She glanced at him quickly before turning back to the living room without saying hello and without giving him the chance to give her the once over.

"I'm just grabbing my purse and then we can go," she threw over her shoulder.

He nodded from the door even though she wasn't looking at him to see it. He was most definitely looking at her though. Since he had proposed at the after party of the show, he decided he could look at her as much as he wanted because, now, she'd know why he was looking and he wouldn't have to answer any questions if he got caught.

When she returned to the door, she glanced at him before looking down at the purse she now carried. "Let's get a move on," she said with a wave of her hand. It didn't sound as harsh as it would usually sound from her lips.

He moved backwards into the hallway, allowing her to shut and lock the door. _Maybe my feelings have got to her, _he hoped. _Perhaps she's not as cold-hearted as she seems._

"Shall we be having drinks first, Miss Babcock?" He asked carefully as they entered the elevator.

She swiveled her head his way but jerked it back before even looking at him properly. "Um. No. Let's just... have dinner." She pretended to rummage through her purse.

He nodded. She found his silence to be quite unsettling. She wondered if she had upset him with her response.

"I'm starved. I don't think I can wait," she added, hoping it would explain her declining his invitation to have drinks.

_Why does it even matter? I don't care what he thinks. But why is he being so quiet?_

The doors dinged open and he followed her out of the building to the limo he had driven there. She went to the passenger side and it made his heart pound. At least she was willing to sit beside him and not make him feel like a butler driving around town with a socialite in the back seat. He opened the door for her and she got in without uttering her thanks.

She watched him as he rounded the car in a jog while adjusting his tie before he got into the driver's seat. As he pulled his safety belt across his body and started the car, CC looked down at the center console where a plastic container caught the light from a nearby street lamp.

She frowned because she wasn't sure if her tummy flipped in excitement or in repulsion at the sight of the corsage of fresh orchids resting inside.

She pretended not to have noticed and cast her eyes out of her window. She could feel him looking at her now and then. She wanted to yell at him for it but she didn't want him to know he could get to her that easily. Also, seeing the corsage had made her feel softer inside and she couldn't gather the negative energy to shout at him.

The ride to the restaurant was mostly silent. Niles hadn't turned on the radio and CC hadn't even noticed. They were both too distracted by their own thoughts.

As the car slowed, CC was wondering what she would have said if he'd complimented how she looked tonight. She was racking her brain trying to fathom such a situation. She couldn't imagine him saying something nice about her like that. She was glad he hadn't said anything... Or rather, she was glad she hadn't given him the chance to at her apartment. She would have been flattered but didn't want to encourage him.

Niles parked the car and jumped out to open her door for her but found she had already helped herself out. He shut her door as she adjusted her dress. He grasped the second opportunity to look at her.

She was wearing a charcoal-coloured cocktail dress with a small sleeve. It hugged her body in all the right places. The bottom was a pencil skirt ending just below her knee. _Bussinessey_, he thought_. _The neckline was round and low but not very revealing and he was glad that he wouldn't have that to distract him. _She looks stunning, visible cleavage or no._

She looked up at him as she pulled her shawl back up onto her shoulder. "Did you remember to make a reservation?" She asked as she looked down at her outfit to search for whatever he was staring at so that she could cover it.

"Of course," he said. She wished it sounded more sarcastic or condescending so that she could scowl at him.

As they began walking towards the restaurant's entrance, she heard Niles curse under his breath and watched as he quickly traced the few steps they'd made from the car, opened the limo door, grabbed the container with the corsage, locked the car and ran to catch up with her again.

"Um, this is for you." He thrust the plastic box towards her as if he didn't want the gift to appear too thoughtful.

Her heart jumped when she saw the insecurity in his eyes as she took it from him. She thanked him and walked up to the entrance of the restaurant with a slight smile, which was only visible because she knew he wouldn't see it from behind her.

The maître d' guided them to their table. CC was glad Niles hadn't requested a booth and that he'd chosen a restaurant to which they'd been before. Its familiarity made her feel a little more like herself.

After Niles slid her chair in for her, she looked at his attire as he sat down across from her.

"You're wearing your fancy pants." She pointed out with a smirk. She had smelled the Paco Rabanne on him, too, and she liked it but opted not to mention that part.

"I am." He smiled at his lap as he spread a napkin in place. His hands were shaking. He was more nervous than the night he'd first decided to tell her how he felt and ended up proposing. And even more nervous than the day he'd bought her flowers and planned to tell her he loved her until he found out Collin had dumped her.

When he heard the sound of the plastic box opening, he looked up to watch her smell the corsage. He grinned, glad that she seemed to appreciate the gesture. He couldn't take his eyes off of her when he noticed her smile at the corsage. He hadn't realized the waiter had approached the table. All he could see was CC's lips moving as she glanced at her menu and spoke to someone standing beside them.

"Marry me." He blurted out.

She looked over at him, seemingly as embarrassed and bewildered as the first time he'd said it but then a slight smile crept its way onto her face as she touched something in her purse.

"What was that, sir?" The waiter asked.

"Uh." Niles realized what he'd just said and quickly placed his order to cover his arse.

"Wonderful choice, sir. Two of the Chicken Picatta coming right up then." The waiter left and Niles put his elbow on the table and put his eyes into his palm in embarrassment.

"I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse!" CC said, hoping it would bring back the old Niles she knew.

He didn't say anything but at least he dropped his elbow and looked at her again. She was confused by his lack of response but even more so by the glint she noticed in his eye - it was one she'd never seen before.

CC pointed out some of the decor that had been changed in the restaurant since they'd last been there.

"Do you remember the last time we came here?" He asked.

"Yeah," she laughed. "According to Nanny Fine I was old and alone. She convinced you to take me out."

He smiled. "I let you buy me dinner."

She expected him to make a jab about the 'old and alone' part.

"Mmhmm," she hummed in remembrance but the memory confused her. Her smile faded as she thought about how he had always been there. She could always take advantage of him if she needed company - whether it be a dinner companion or a date for a benefit or awards show. She didn't like that it made her feel like she owed him. It made her wonder if he'd had an ulterior motive every time... Well, other than doing it for money. She enjoyed his company but companionship is not something for which she wished to accept a marriage proposal. And she wasn't going to marry him just because they're both alone.

They sipped their wine for a while in uncomfortable silence. The waiter returned 10 minutes later without their meals. CC groaned when he apologised for the delay and announced that the food would be a little while longer.

Niles wasn't sure what to do. He wanted things to be perfect tonight. He didn't want her in a bad mood because of the delay with their meals. He had to distract her somehow. _Small talk, _he decided but wasn't sure how to start. They had been relatively quiet since they had ordered - except for his outburst, of course. He allowed himself another peek at her figure from across the table.

"Miss Babcock, you look- Your dress tonight is..." He attempted to compliment her appearance but there were too many possible compliments running through his mind. Before he could decide which one to go with, she rose from the table with a funny look in her face.

"If we're going to wait for our meals we might as well make use of the dance floor." She walked right past him and when she turned to see him still sitting and looking at her with a slack jaw, she scolded him.

"Are you going to dance with me or not?" It came out like a rhetorical question. She knew he'd likely want to dance with her if he had proposed to her twice already.

He jumped from his seat and followed her further into the center of the dance floor. She turned and waited for him to offer his hand. He did and she took it without looking at his face.

_We've danced before,_ she told herself. _Many times. This time doesn't have to be any different. _But she couldn't deny that it did feel different. He was behaving strangely. He even felt different in her arms. _It must be his disgustingly sweaty palm in my hand. _She grimaced.

Almost as if he'd heard her thoughts, he pulled his hand from hers and wiped it on his trousers before taking her left hand once more. She couldn't figure out his demeanor when she caught sight of his facial expression. _Apologetic? Abashed? Adoring? _She became lost in her thoughts as he slowly guided her around the floor. She moved closer to him and rested her chin on his shoulder to her right as she stared into space.

His excitement at her move made him tremble with anticipation. He hoped she wouldn't notice the effect she had on him.

She did. She couldn't relax in his arms once she felt his hands begin to shake slightly. She felt the one around her back begin to clench into a fist as if he were trying to control his trembling touch.

She wanted him to be the old Niles; the Niles whose confidence she could feed off of; the Niles who would push her around the dance floor and dip her to excite her; not the Niles who was in front of her now. Now, his nervousness was rubbing off on her. He was being too careful. He was watching his step and it felt as though his every move was calculated. He was putting in too much thought. She preferred it when he was more spontaneous - when he would toss her a zinger the moment the chance arose. She liked the Niles who would play their old game instead of starting this new one. She wanted the old Niles who would do things to her and for her without her having to wonder if they meant anything.

_Or had those old moves been rehearsed all these years, too? _She wondered.

As she pondered these things, she let go of his hand and placed hers around his neck to support her chin on his other shoulder. She was frowning, deep in thought, when she felt his hands clasp around her back. He was still trembling and she felt him take a raggedy breath.

When she felt his chest expand between them, she realized she was awfully close to him and moved her head off of his shoulder, putting some space between them. She looked at him and realized he was watching her lips. She frowned again, feeling guilty that she might have led him on. She didn't mean to; she was just so comfortable and her mind had been somewhere else.

"Oh, stop, Niles. Be normal, would you?" She said quietly and cast her eyes around at the couples passing them on the dance floor.

He didn't respond. He splayed his fingers out on her back as his eyes darted between her lips and her eyes. He'd kill to kiss her.

_He better not try to kiss me or else... _What? _Or else what, CC? _She asked herself. _I might like it. It doesn't have to mean anything. I haven't been kissed in ages. Who doesn't enjoy kissing? It doesn't have to mean I like __**him**__, per se. But he'd assume it means something..._

She swallowed, unsure of herself. She hated not being able to expect an insult from him. She hated not knowing what he was thinking. She glanced at his lips and hastily back at his eyes, immediately chastising herself for allowing her eyes to drop and hoping he didn't take it to mean anything.

"Marry me?" He sighed it softly as if he never intended to say it out loud.

She was so glad he'd slipped up first. It shocked her back into place and she chuckled in relief. "No, Niles," she said as if he'd just asked her the silliest question. She patted his shoulder and stepped out of his arms. "Our meals have arrived."

She walked to their table and he followed her, frustrated with himself and with her.

They began eating. Niles chewed his mouthful and watched as she carefully cut a piece of chicken and brought her fork to her mouth.

_Why won't she accept my proposal? Why won't she accept me? She is so stubborn! Can't she see that I love her? This woman is so infuriating! _He swallowed his food.

"Marry me!" He said for the fourth time. This one sounded almost desperate.

She swallowed and glared at him. He was just glad she didn't laugh in his face.

"Stop asking me. I won't marry you. I don't like you and call the waiter my breasts are dry."

Niles was hurt but opted to say nothing. He didn't even mumble a barb against her "breasts" comment.

He could have insulted her but he was worried he'd say something vulgar... Something about them not being so dry if she'd give him a chance. He shuddered that there was this side of himself and his thoughts that he couldn't control when it came to her.

_She really does hate me. The disdain has always been genuine from her side. I thought she had at least felt something over all of the years we've known each other. This is the worst night of my entire life. _

They finished their meals in complete silence. The sounds of their forks and knives scratching against the dinner plates as they ate didn't seem half as noisy as the thoughts running through their heads.

CC thought about the tape recorder in her purse. She hoped it had picked up each of the three proposals tonight. She only wished she'd caught the very first one at the after party of the play he'd produced with Fran. That proposal had caught her.

She had to admit it was a surprise when that play had turned out to be successful - when _he_ had proved successful. Sure, Sheffield-Babcock Productions had to pull a few strings but it was mostly legal crap that she wouldn't have known about either had she been in his position.

_Why the hell am I putting myself in his shoes?! He doesn't need defending or praise. He doesn't need encouragement on this insane path he seems to be hurtling down. What is he trying to do - Producing plays and proposing marriage? He must be having a mid-life crisis. _She scoffed to herself at the thought, _mid-life, my ass!_

She looked up as the waiter came to clear their plates and offer a dessert menu. CC declined, assuming Niles wanted this night to end as soon as she did. She eyed him only to find him pursing his lips angrily and furrowing his brows as he looked around the room.

Of course he wasn't enjoying this. _Why would he do this to himself? He knows he's being ridiculous. What would compel him to put his nuts in my hands... So to speak. Doesn't he think I'm capable of crushing them... and his spirit? Well I've shot him down four times now. That'll teach him_, she decided proudly.

CC had never been proposed to. She was elated that she could now tell people at reunions that she'd turned down four. Even though he was confusing the hell out of things, at least Niles had given her that.

She realized she had only really said no to two of his proposals. The first one had caught her completely off-guard and she couldn't do anything but retreat to the theatre's restrooms and try to compose herself. The second one, which he had blurted out in front of the waiter, was as much of a surprise to her as the first had been. She hadn't expected him to make the same mistake twice. She thought he had come to his senses and realized he didn't want to marry her.

The third time was a charm - she'd finally managed to say no. She shook her head thinking about how insane this whole situation seemed.

Niles took the bill from the waiter and paid it before CC could flash her platinum card. There he goes, surprising her again. He noticed her frowning at him.

"What?" He asked a little abruptly as he stuffed his wallet into his trouser pocket.

She relaxed her brows. "Nothing. Shall we go, then?" She asked.

He looked down for a moment, then nodded.

An annoyed Niles was a little more bearable, a little more normal and familiar.

She reached for her lipstick in her purse they way she always did at the end of a dinner date. She spread some on and pushed her lips together to even it out.

He stood from the table and neared her to pull out her chair. She looked at him as she stuffed the lipstick back into her purse. He decided not to pull out her chair, thinking she wasn't used to him being a gentleman anyhow and he merely stood waiting for her to get up.

Strangely, CC decided that perhaps he was a gentleman and had been one all along. She realized he had always pulled out her chair or opened the door for her even when it wasn't part of his job at the mansion. She inwardly scolded herself when she missed it this time.

She rose from her seat and pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulder from whence it had dropped. He was looking around the room. She knew it was to avoid looking at her.

She moved to follow him towards the door but stopped and turned back to the table to grab his corsage... her corsage... The corsage he'd bought for her.

Niles had walked through the entrance of the restaurant before he saw she wasn't right behind him. When she caught up, he noticed the corsage in her hand and he looked to the street, his angry frown relaxing slightly.

They walked to the car and his anger returned as he thought about what she'd said when she turned down his proposal the fourth time.

_Does she really not like me or does she not like what I am? She's so caught up in appearances that she can't even allow me the chance to try and make her happy. It's not as if she's had many offers, or any for that matter. She shouldn't have to grow old alone, nursing a bottle of alcohol. That kind of warmth is short-lived. She should know as well as I do._

He helped her into the car and she thanked him. He got into his side and started the engine.

The ride back to her apartment building was as silent as the journey from it had been. Through the corner of his eye, he saw her placing the corsage box back on the center console between them.

"Thank you for dinner, Niles," she said, looking out at the view through her window.

"You're welcome. Miss Babcock."

"I didn't expect you to pay for me. I know you like to stash your cash," she teased. "But then I suppose your stash would be an indication that you can afford to pay." She chuckled.

"I couldn't afford not to," he said, his tone serious. He was trying to tell her that he felt he needed to impress her and show her how he could offer her things, too.

She sighed. "Niles, I don't know why you keep asking me to marry you. You know I could never agree to such a thing."

He drove a little faster. "You could."

She exhaled audibly. "Really, Niles! I'm not going to change my mind just because you keep asking me. It doesn't work that way."

"I think you'd be the last person who knows how these things work." He spat.

"I know how these things work!" She almost screeched at him. "It takes more than dinner or proposals or acting like a gentleman, Niles. It takes love. I need someone who makes my heart pound! Someone who can sweep me off my feet!"

He couldn't tell her that he did, in fact, love her. He could handle her turning down his proposals but he would be devastated if she were to brush off those three words he was desperate for her to hear.

He knew he could sweep her off her feet and make her heart pound if only she were open to it. He was disappointed that she denied him of the chance to try.

When he didn't respond, she added, "I don't think that that someone is you. And I'm sure if you gave it some thought, you'd realize that, too.

In his mind he didn't agree with her. He didn't want to fight, either, so he remained still. He was tired. Twenty years was a long time. He knew he couldn't be around her for much longer if it was going to carry on this way. How could he live near someone he loved, knowing his love would forever be unrequited and mocked? He decided that he couldn't spend time around her if there was no hope of convincing her.

His heartbeat slowed. He felt as though it had almost lost its beat completely. He felt lost and angry as he pulled up to her apartment building.

He unclipped his safety belt but she stopped him. "I'll see myself up. Thanks again for dinner, Niles. See you tomorrow at the mansion, as per usual." She shut the car door and walked into her building without looking back.

_'As per usual''... _Her voice echoed in his mind as he drove back to the mansion.

_She thinks this is all some lighthearted joke, doesn't she! She thinks she can just turn down a marriage proposal as if it's all business. I can't serve her tea everyday 'as per usual' after this - after she left me out in the cold, alone and heartbroken. I should never have said anything. I should never have proposed. I should never have asked her to dinner. _

_This is all Mrs. Sheffield's fault. Why did I have to listen to her? I'll never be able to forgive her for this! I'll never forgive myself for this! My life is ruined!_

When he arrived at the mansion, his anger had piqued. He stormed up to his boss's bedroom, not caring whether they were already in bed or not. This couldn't wait. He had made his decision. He didn't want to be in that house another day if CC Babcock would be there, too. He never thought he'd ever leave his job because of CC. She had always been the reason he had stayed.

He arrived at the bedroom door and Fran opened it before he could calm himself. This was it. This was the moment he would finally quit.


End file.
